Van Mahotsav: A week for the trees

So we in India are currently celebrating the Van Mahotsav (Festival of trees). Van Mahotsav is an annual tree-planting festival in India, celebrated in the first week of July. This movement was initiated in the year 1950 by India's Union Minister for Agriculture, Kulapati Dr. K M Munshi (yes there were times when we had such politicians).

The festival educates the awareness of trees among people and portrays the need of planting and tending of trees, as trees are one of the best ways to prevent global warming and reduce pollution. Van Mahotsava is celebrated as a festival of life. It is expected that every citizen of India has to plant a sapling in the Van Mahotsav week. It helps spread awareness amongst people about the harm caused by the cutting down of trees.People celebrate Van Mahotsava by planting trees or saplings in homes, offices, schools, colleges, etc. Awareness campaigns are held at various levels. Novel promotions like free circulation of trees are also taken up by various organizations and volunteers.

No doubt the Van Mahotsav is one of the best pro-enviornment initiatives taken in the country and has managed to attract millions of citizens into this noble effort, but care should be taken to publicize the need for follow through actions such as care for the saplings planted during the week. It makes no sense to plant saplings in front to the cameras and then let them wither away when the cameras have turned. 

Still not being too skeptical about the good things in life, I hope that such initiatives become rooted in our culture and help gather more support for the cause, both in India and elsewhere.